I'm a gamer from the 90s who was raised on games with cute characters in them, both the genuine, heart-warming kind and the cynically designed ones.
But despite me mostly being a Nintendo fanboy it was probably the holy trinity Final fantasy VII, Tomb Raider and Resident Evil that truly got me into gaming.

Now I play anything as I'm open to anything.

Favourite game of all time? probably a toss up between Mass Effect 2, Persona 4, Metroid Prime, Killer7 or Resident Evil 4.

So the Resident Evil 6 trailer showed up last night on a number of sites and as I turned off the computer and tucked myself in bed I found myself thinking about the series a lot. I thought about the original and how that scene from the Hunterís perspective terrified me to the core, I thought about how Resident Evil 2 is likely the game I completed the most times and so on. Now, I wouldnít call myself the biggest Resident Evil fan. Iíve certainly had fun with the series, a lot of fun, but after seeing the trailer it has gone from a game I had little interest in to one of my most anticipated of 2012, and Iím not sure how it happened.

What makes my sudden excitement in RE6 weird to me is I didnít like the little of what I played of RE5. Granted, I just played the demo and I know I should never judge a game solely on that like I did with Batman: Arkham Asylum. I didnít like that gameís demo too and totally wrote it off but someone bought it for me as a present and it only took an hour or so with the full game and I felt like an absolute boob. Batman: AA is awesome. So RE5 could still be great but I think it was more the idea of having to play it co-operatively. I know you donít have to but still having an AI partner using up all the ammo and generally being something that clings to the back of your mind isnít how I want to play Resident Evil.
I do enjoy playing games in co-op, Iím not inherently against doing it: Halo, Gears of War and currently Resistance 3 are games I enjoy playing co-op, maybe even more so than alone but I just never wanted to do that in Resident Evil. I wish I could explain why, but I canít; it just feels wrong. I donít want to do it.

It has been mentioned that RE6 will also feature co-op, which is great as I know a few people who loved playing RE5 that way but when it comes to RE6 I just hope itís separate for those who want it, and I think that will be the case as Leonís parts in the trailer looks like it will be single player. Speaking of Leon, isnít his jacket sweet? Thatís probably my favourite thing in the trailer. I want to find one for myself and Iíll be the coolest guy down the farmerís market, I know it.
And youíve got that new guy going full on MMA on the zombies which is one of the most brilliantly stupid things Iíve ever seen. I think overall thatís what Resident Evil 6 is; brilliantly dumb.

But there is an elephant in the room which needs to be addressed; itís hardily the traditional Resident Evil game that a lot of people are yeaning for. The survival horror genre is something that isnít quite what it used to be. Apart from indie games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent itís something we donít see anymore which is a shame, itís always sad when an interesting genre ceases to exist anymore, and seeing survival horrorís poster boy, Resident Evil, turn into a monster slaying action game doesnít appear to be a positive thing as we do have plenty of those already.
I donít know why the slow and intense horror game fell out of favour. I donít believe it was because of the direction Resident Evil 4 went in. Iím not going to be mad at that game, itís impossible to be. Yes, it was the first game to turn the series to what it is now but it was just so, so good at it. If Resident Evil 4 wasnít one of the greatest action games ever crafted and it became popular then Iíd be mad, but unfortunately, it is one of the greatest action games ever, so Iím not.
There is a gap in the market for a survival horror game and Iíd love to see someone fill it, but Iíve long stopped to expect another Resident Evil game to be the one fill it.
Resident Evil 0 was the last game that had the traditional formula and that was nearly ten years ago now; Resident Evil isnít that thing anymore, and hasnít been for some time.

But that gap maybe filled! Resident Evil: Revelations, from what Iíve heard seems to be doing that, so purists are covered, right? I think weíre really spoiled sometimes. But it does raise the question with regards to Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City. The question is: whatís the point?
This is a game I really couldnít care less about and its existence is only apparent to me because I have a friend who brings it up from time to time. I dunno, Iím probably going to sound like a complete weeaboo but there is a slight weirdness to Japanese games even when theyíre trying so hard to be western. Even in the RE6 trailer you have a zombie president and a man going full on CQC on the other zombies, and punching them in the face. Itís a western looking game but slightly skewed and off kilter. I donít get that from Operation Racoon City. I just get a Resident Evil game through the eyes that brought us the borefest that is SOCOM.

So, Resident Evil 6! Iím excited by it. I miss the old style horror as much as anyone who was playing them around that time but I canít be upset by something that, potentially, could be so much fun in its own right.
And I think I should give RE5 a chance before this hits in November. Day one!